Everything You need to know about your M4 ATX

**RipplingHurst** · 12-02-2009, 10:24 PM

I am using the DSATX right now, but I also have the M4atx for my next project. Question is, can I one the M4ATX as I use the DSATX, namely, sleep mode with Windows 7, leaving 5V on, going to deep sleep (5v off) when the battery is running low? How?

**Enforcer** · 12-02-2009, 10:31 PM

Originally Posted by msreyes

How is your car battery? - good question, no idea.
Does the PC do this when the engine is running? - just runs, no issue there.

If the PC runs fine when the engine is running, but goes off when the engine is not, it suggests your battery is low, so either your alternator is not charging it enough or your battery is on it's way out.

**msreyes** · 12-04-2009, 09:59 PM

I have a question - if I am getting power fluctuations would a capacitor help with that?

**1miracle2** · 12-29-2009, 05:41 PM

Thank you blk02si and jpinkerton for posting pix!!!

Some of the lingo is hard to follow.
Doesn't matter if you're tech savy or not.
Some of the info is useless w/o pix.

I'm in the process of building my Nitro-Puter (posted on Nitro Forumz) but the manual for this M4 is horrific and came here for relief, got some clarification but I'm more of a visual person. I'm not to that point yet as I'm doing some custom fabrication but I'm sure "I'll be back".

Thank you all other fellow hobbiests, hackers and geeks or all of the above! :-)

**knyt** · 01-03-2010, 11:09 AM

An M4-ATX setup/monitoring tool for Linux, Mac and *BSD is available at http://ram.umd.edu/wiki/Public/Software/m4api . It supports nearly everything the OEM setup application does, including getting and setting all configuration variables.

**blk02si** · 01-10-2010, 12:25 AM

Very nice! Thanks for the link knyt.

I am doing another build with an M4 where I want to run FREEBSD in a server type environment.

Anyway here is a pic. It's pushing a full ATX MSI board, 1gb of ddr2-800 ram, dual core intel processor, 2.5 harddisk, and a ATI all-in-one video card / TV / FM tuner card on a supermicro PCI-E riser. It pushes all of this no problem, barelyu even gets warm in this test chassis. (installed vista just for kicks and vista rates this card 5.9 for aero desktop and 5.3 for gaming, so I know it's pulling some juice)

**blk02si** · 01-11-2010, 10:58 PM

And the plot thickens, here is a sneak peek at my new M4 powered rig I've codenamed voltage.

Yes, that is 4 gauge copper cabling going to the M4 from the battery bank.

This is intended for a marine application, the laptop drive is going to be replaced by a sata SSD.

I am going to setup the ignition line and play with the programmer software more, but I need to read and research first.

The battery array is 2x Optima deep cycle in parallel.

**blk02si** · 01-11-2010, 11:06 PM

after a few hours of hard use the M4 is barely warm to the touch, and the array voltage is down to 11.9

I've realized I also need a large disconnect relay, when connecting the batterys there is a large spark when the lead first touches. A lot of current behind the optima battery pack.

**ninja6o4** · 01-12-2010, 12:08 AM

I'm looking for a PSU to power my mini-itx carpc.

I've read that the M4-ATX had a few firmware issues. Have these all been cleared up, and is mp3car.com's stock all with the latest firmware?

I was looking into M2-ATX but it seems to be out of stock. I'm not going with a very powerful PC so is there any other advantage to getting M4 other than raw power output?